THE GTMC COLUMN PAUL WAIT
DELAYS ON THE LINE I
nfrastructure is a global trend. China is on course to build 70 new airports within the next three years and has just earmarked US$100 billion for railway construction. Japan is revamping its fleet of railway stock, and the Americans are set to break ground on an ambitious new bullet-train project, which would move travellers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in just under three hours. And the UK? Phase one of the country’s single biggest engineering project, the HS2 high-speed rail link, is not even expected to be
ready to use between London and Birmingham until 2026. Attracting investment is highly competitive. If the UK’s infrastructure is going to go toe-to-toe with the world’s other economies, then the time is now for the government to get serious about driving recovery. Hitachi’s announcement in March that it will shift its global rail headquarters from Tokyo to London demonstrates a huge vote of confidence in Britain, but there's still a long way to go. Sir David Higgins’ report earlier this year calling for an acceleration of the building
THE ACTE COLUMN CAROLINE ALLEN
A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE S
ix years ago, I was asked to launch the Association of Corporate Travel
Executives, (ACTE), in Russia. At that time, there was no trade press or neutral platform dedicated to business travel advancement as a whole, and nowhere buyers and suppliers could meet together to discuss industry issues and find solutions. After extensive research, involving many industry leaders, the first ACTE Moscow education forum took place in April 2009, attracting more than 80 delegates. Since then, interest in the market has grown
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
exponentially. The Association of Business Travel Russia (ABT) was launched three years ago, and this year we were proud to announce the formal alliance of our two associations, to become ABT-ACTE Russia. I also encouraged the launch of Buying Business Travel in Russia. In June 2013 this major milestone became a reality to communicate industry news, knowledge and opportunities, and to promote business travel as a profession. ACTE has always believed in collaborating with other associations to deliver relevant and quality education. In summer 2013, we extended
JOBS AND GROWTH WILL SUFFER UNLESS WE MOVE FASTER WITH THE HS2 PROJECT
works on the northern section of HS2 is a welcome first step. The report also made the point that government needs to stop debating and start allowing action. The majority of the UK’s big infrastructure projects critical to economic recovery are at the mercy of our parliamentary cycles. Pushing decisions until after an election might be the politically safe thing to do, but it is economically very dangerous. The developing world has a zest for progress, while we still seem to be pondering. Few disagree with the fact that HS2 is absolutely vital for the future of
the country. The Guild of Travel Management Companies is working hard to showcase the feelings of the business travel sector to policymakers. Results from our recent Voice of the Business Rail Traveller survey revealed that nearly three quarters of 18- to 29-year-olds are in favour of the project. The sooner the government can sign off on its plans, the sooner the economic benefits can be shared by all.
TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS TRAVEL, COLLABORATION IS KEY
our footprint with the African Business Travel Association (ABTA), and in Brussels in February 2014, we cemented our European partner relations further, by launching ENACT, the European Network of Associations for Corporate Travel.
ACTE continues to partner
with BBT in the UK delivering education events in our popular, successful and unique format. Discussions are engaging and enlightening and the forums are always a sell-out. We launch our inaugural Irish forum in Dublin on July 3. There is no question that professionalism
in both mature and emerging markets continues to grow with ACTE engagement. Delegates who engage in ACTE and our partner events understand that it is only when armed with broad knowledge, an open mind and a willingness to collaborate, that realistic and sustainable solutions can be implemented and business can grow. Make sure you are part of the conversation – be part of the global ACTE community and join us at our next events.
BBT MAY/JUNE 2014 119
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